"Bang for your Bucks"

[Boots-n-All]

Hi there,

What's been your biggest "Bang for your Bucks" experience?

I've pondered this many times:-

My Ascension speakers? - these gave the biggest single improvement in overall sound.

My re-discovering vinyl? - my old Thorens is certainly giving me a lot of pleasure.

My Cambridge Blu-Ray / universal player - I've found SACD's to be wonderful.

While the speakers (& perhaps vinyl) have improved the overall sound - it has been the

modern DACs in the Cambridge that have helped me to re-discover the joy that can be had

from well recorded 16/44.1 Redbook CDs! I had almost given up on CDs (especially after

getting my vinyl rig back in the system), but now I have a huge number of CDs that can

almost be listened to as "new music" because I am, in a way, now hearing them for the

first time!

So really, in terms of "value", the Cambridge universal wins hands down!

So, when you carefully consider it, what has been your biggest "Bang for your Bucks"?

Boots.

[a.dent]

Definitely my DIY Tannoy speakers.

$30k RRP speakers for $5k.

You often can't beat DIY.

[MWR]

Hi there,

What's been your biggest "Bang for your Bucks" experience?

I've pondered this many times:-

My Ascension speakers? - these gave the biggest single improvement in overall sound.

My re-discovering vinyl? - my old Thorens is certainly giving me a lot of pleasure.

My Cambridge Blu-Ray / universal player - I've found SACD's to be wonderful.

While the speakers (& perhaps vinyl) have improved the overall sound - it has been the

modern DACs in the Cambridge that have helped me to re-discover the joy that can be had

from well recorded 16/44.1 Redbook CDs! I had almost given up on CDs (especially after

getting my vinyl rig back in the system), but now I have a huge number of CDs that can

almost be listened to as "new music" because I am, in a way, now hearing them for the

first time!

So really, in terms of "value", the Cambridge universal wins hands down!

So, when you carefully consider it, what has been your biggest "Bang for your Bucks"?

Boots.

I've got the Sentinels Boots, which speakers do you have? I consider these my best audio investment just behind my CA DMPlus

Edited September 13, 2012 by MWR

[manchu]

I bought my first DAC this week and am mightily impressed with the improvement it's made to my modest system. Lot of bang for $340 outlay.

[proftournesol]

The best bang for my buck was repositioning my speakers and listening seat - cost:free.

The next biggest was my Tandberg tuner bought for the then outrageous sum of sum $600 25 years ago but never bettered, never replaced.

[osborne]

I bought my first DAC this week and am mightily impressed with the improvement it's made to my modest system. Lot of bang for $340 outlay.

Which DAC did you get? I am also looking for one.

[Grumpy]

Going from AV receiver to separate pre and power, picking up some good used equipment, for 2 channel listening BUT the biggest bang for the buck is getting some of the great used vinyl that is out there to play

[caddisgeek]

Cleaning my records

[rantan]

Buying my Luxman L550 amplifier.

Not inexpensive, but fantastic value for money and an heirloom product.

[surprisetech]

Philips AH476 3-way Speakers from the Philips Staff Shop in 1978. (Heavily tweaked over the years and were still in use until 2008)

Sansui 4900Z Receiver from Tivoli Hifi in 1981 (Stayed in my system until 1990 when it was replaced by separates, but still in use at a mate's place)

Technics SL-D303 Turntable from Tivoli Hifi in 1981. (Still in use)

Marantz PM-65AV Integrated Amp from Douglas Hifi in 1990. (Moved it on in 2005 only because I wanted something with remote control)

Yamaha DSP-E800 AV Processor/Amplifier in 2003 (Still in use)

My DIY Stereo / Front Main Speakers built in 2008 (Winter weekends in the garage working on the speakers and listening to the Cats rewriting the record books)

Cambridge 751BD from Rio 2 months ago. Universal Disc spinner, Network Player and Ext HDD Player all in one box.

[DAMO 1147]

My s/h speakers were great BFB - but so far although not audiophile my Yamaha reciever was - free and relative to the price it's good !

20 YO tuner- how great

Luxman's we can only hope for in the future. Lucky RT-

I'll be getting some upgraded speaker cables very soon as well.

[DAMO 1147]

Cambridge 751BD from Rio 2 months ago. Universal Disc spinner, Network Player and Ext HDD Player all in one box.

Interesting how have you found the 751?

[Braddles 63]

The Tekton Lore speakers I picked up from a fellow member. For less than $1k they just amaze me sometimes.

The Raysonic cd128 I picked up from a fellow member for just under $1k.

The Trafomatic Aries that I picked up from a fellow member for under $1k.

For less than $3k I've managed to put together a pretty good system.

Oh and I've got a Cayin a50t amp on the way from a fellow member for guess how much????????

Yes you guessed it under $1k.

There is some good stuff on here for sale people!

Edited September 14, 2012 by Braddles 63

[surprisetech]

Interesting how have you found the 751?

I'll start by saying that the supplied remote is very ordinary!

But, once I got the Harmony 785 set up with all the 751's commands, and reprogrammed the Activities to include the 751 instead of the Yammy Universal DVD player, it's been great.

The original remote has 5 dual purpose keys. Press for the main function; Press and Hold for the secondary function. The secondary functions (including "Source" and "Zoom") were not in the Logitech library, so I had to manually add them, but once that was done, and the original remote put in storage, I'm very happy with it. Sounds fantastic and easy to access and navigate the additional network and external sources.

I set up a NAS about a year ago, and have been streaming music via the NextWave DAB-390, which is OK, but won't do video of course, and only has the little radio display, so can't make selections from the listening position.

Everyone wanted a Blu-Ray player.

My Son and I wanted a Network Audio and Video Player with on-screen menus.

I wanted support for FLAC playback.

I wanted a Universal Player that would do a great job of CD, HDCD, SACD and DVD-A playback.

I also needed Multi-channel and Dedicated Stereo outs for the existing Processor and Receiver.

The 751 fulfilled all those requirements with one box, at what I considered to be a very fair price.

[twwen2]

Usher S520 for $250.

[Sir Triode]

My used Marantz CD63 and CD67s (purchased for around $150) modded for $350 each by Divaaudio in Singapore.

Edited September 13, 2012 by triode12

[Batty]

A gifted DL-103 retipped by Soundsmith and fitted into an aluminium body cost $335 for a new vinyl collection

[Braddles 63]

I forgot to mention my Vintage Polk Audio RTA-11TL speakers i picked up for next to nothing. They had blown tweeters which were easily replaced.

I also upgraded the X-overs, dampened the baskets, braced the cabinets and resealed the drivers. These retailed for around $3K back in the late 80's / early 90's. These owe me less than $650 so far.

Edited September 13, 2012 by Braddles 63

[Marsy]

The best bang for my buck was repositioning my speakers and listening seat - cost:free.

The next biggest was my Tandberg tuner bought for the then outrageous sum of sum $600 25 years ago but never bettered, never replaced.

Agreed. Pulled my speakers forward 3 inches this morning and the difference in imaging is amazing.

[Cafad]

Hmmm, bang for bucks wise the best value was hanging a thick doona over my TV. The improvement wasn't huge but it was certainly noticable and the cost just doesn't come into it (until next winter anyway!). Next up would be the second hand Myryad MI120 integrated I got over ebay just recently for $500, an awesome little amp even if it is 16 odd years old. I think little blue penguins speaker cables would rate third, loving them too.

[Toisich-Jnr]

Brand new Yamaha Soavo 1.1s, piano black finish, at less than half RRP

[RockandorRoll]

JB3's

Just really good bedroom sound for $250 or whatever i paid

[Luc]

I can't actually say which component of my small modest system is the best bang for my buck as I might want to sell some of it in the near future and that would give the game away.

The little Redgum is something else though I've got to admit. Having listened to some RG175's+ a RGi35, I reckon the little RG craps all over the i35 and doesn't come within a bulls roar of the 175's but for it's initial purchase price...yes it's my best bang for my buck I guess.

[Guest Hensa]

Loading all my CDs on to the Vortexbox and streaming with the Squeezebox through a DAC has changed the way I listen to music and made creating playlists for whatever sort of occasion not only a doddle but a heap of fun - definitely the biggest bang for my bucks.

Cleaning my records

+1 for the second biggest bang - made un-listenable vinyl enjoyable again!

Finally, the Celestion A3s I picked up on SNA. They actually beggar belief with how good they sound and I can now understand why they so rarely come up on the 2nd hand market. Whoever said there are great bargains to be had here on SNA was right on the money but you got to be on it to win it!

[GraemeB]

Yes Cafad, littlebluepenguin's Taranui speaker cables are bloody awesome. But don't tell anyone, so we can feel like exclusive members of the Oz Taranui Owners Club...LOL!